Tutorial: Coarse Aquatint

Aquatint is a technique used in copper and zinc plate intaglio printmaking to create tone. In a traditional studio, this is frequently done using a fine powdered resin which forms an acid-resistant dot cover on the plate, applied using a dedicated aquatint box. You get a reliably even tone throughout the image. In safety oriented studios, some artists substitute the powdered resin with spray enamel or spray paint.

Etchers who've worked exclusively with aluminium plates may not be familiar with this process because aluminium is 'self aquatinting,' in that if you place a large exposed surface of aluminium in the acid, it will not bite out the entire surface (thus creating an open bite) but rather bite out the metal in a grainy matrix which can hold ink.

Note: this tutorial has been written for those who have previously used some kind of aquatint, rather than for the complete beginner. However, if you belong to the latter category and nevertheless want to read on and find yourself confused, please do ask in the comments!

As the name suggests, this tutorial covers some aspects of the application of, and results that can be achieved with, a coarse aquatint. It's different from a 'fine aquatint' that the tone is more irregular and broken, and you can apply it without having to build yourself an aquatint box.

You need:
• Respirator / dust mask
• Lump resin / aquatint ground (this may be called something different depending on your location)
• Ziplock/plastic bag
• Wine bottle (empty) or a rolling pin which you never plan on using for food preparation again
• Jar
• Cheesecloth
• Old newspaper
• Heat gun

0) Powdered resin is bad for your health and loves to stick in your lungs. If possible, invest in a respirator, but at the very least wear a dust mask. Work somewhere like the garage or shed, where wind isn't going to blow the powder around, but which is away from fabrics and cushions. Cover your working surface with plenty of newspaper for easy clean up afterwards. When heating the resin, work in a very well ventilated area.



1) Put enough resin to fill your jar into a layer or two of ziplock bags.



2) Cover it with a cloth, and using your wine bottle/rolling pin, crush the resin into a powder.



Before rolling and after rolling:



3) Pour the powder into the jar. Cover it with 2-5 layers of cheesecloth (depending on the size of the holes in the cheesecloth and how much powder you'd like to escape) and secure with a rubber band.



4) Place your degreased plate (resin doesn't stick to oil!) on the newspaper. Hold the jar over it and tap to let the powder fall lightly on the plate.



4.1) Remember that resin expands when heated, so don't overdo it or the acid will have nowhere to bite.

4.2) If you need to cover large areas with tone, you are more likely to get an even coverage if you hold the jar up high to lightly work larger areas of the image instead of trying to do small bits at a time. Note that this will also cause the powder to float about more, so protect your clothing and workspace extra carefully.

4.3) The powder is not attached to the plate at this stage. Be careful not to breathe on it or to let your movements disturb it.

A corner covered in resin:



5) Carefully heat the resin from underneath with a heat gun. You'll know it's attached to the plate when it becomes transparent. Don't inhale the fumes.

6) After the plate has cooled, you will be ready to proceed in the same way as any other aquatint: block out the white areas; etch; clean off with methylated spirits; proof!

It takes a while to get the hang of exactly how much powder coverage there needs to be for the effect you're after. It is possible to get quite even results:



Or you could embrace the irregularity, in which case you get something like this:


(Work is entitled Gathering in the Domain, 2011)

Interview with Philippa Jones of OmniArt

Biography

Originally from the UK, I studied Fine Art and gained an MA in interactive Art and Design at University College Falmouth. I am now living in Newfoundland Canada and while I don’t have a regular job, I am trying to make the most of it by being as Artistically productive as my procrastinating allows me.

Why do you like to print?

I like to Print because while my hands are busy in the process of printing, my mind is free from inconsequential thoughts to wander, imagine and muse upon other possibilities.

What is your favorite print medium and why?

Intaglio. It has an eerie edge to it, an aged look. It’s like magic seeing what will come out of the acid. It also allows me to combine drawing with painting in the way I apply aquatint or wipe the plate. I like how I can experiment with variations on the same fundamental drawing on a plate by adding or removing ink.

How long have you been printing and how has your work evolved?

I have been printing for just over two years. I worked for a year as a screen printer and then in Aug 2010 a good friend of mine taught me how to do etchings at an Art Festival and I haven’t looked back. I am really enjoying making prints through copper etching and Aquatint. Now that I am comfortable with the process I am looking forward to loosening up my drawing style and introducing a little more fluidity and intuitive mark making to my prints.

What inspires you?

Rebellion, the Romantics, Relational art, sublime landscapes and awe inspiring nature, experimenting with materials, games, art shops filled with all that potential material, mystery, aspiring to improve, those conversations  you have with someone on your wavelength and you push a concept and the capability of your brain to think that far, then further; creative people working around me; the hope that through my work I might inspire someone else, just one person would make it worth it.

How do your promote your work?

I try to get involved in as many art adventures as possible, the more people I meet the greater the inspiration and the more exposure my art gets. Now I have a body of work I am looking forward to applying for more exhibitions, residencies and competitions.

I have a blog, an Etsy shop and a facebook page dedicated to my art making. In Newfoundland I am represented by The Leyton Gallery of Fine Art. Mostly I rely upon word of mouth and the support of the awesome St.John’s art community. 

Are you working on any particular projects now?  

This summer I will be a visiting artist at St.Michael’s printshopSt. Michael's Print Shop, I am planning to make a series of mezzotints from footage I make of Moths flying towards the camera.  I am also preparing for a show in January 2012 at The Rooms Provincial Art gallery on Contemporary Romanticism in art that will involve my interactive installations and stop motion animations from prints.

Tell us one random fact about yourself 

Every night I dream about sharks.

Philippa's Etsy Shop and Website

Rebecca Peters

Rebecca's Etsy and Websites can be found at the bottom of this interview.


Biography

I've been making art since 1992, focusing on intaglio printing since 1999 and collage art since 2003. I've also played around with bookbinding, letterpress printing, linocuts, and I sometimes write funny little poems and silly stories.

I've lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1998 and earned my BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2000.

I have worked as a printmaker for several professional artists since 2000, editioning their intaglio art and I now have a letterpress printing business called Reb Peters Press. It is through this relatively new endeavor in the world of letterpress printing where I've re-discovered my interest in relief printing and I've printed some linocuts and woodcuts on my big old platen press.

How did you get started in printmaking?

I started printmaking when I started at the SF Art Institute. I'd intended to continue studying painting, but was immediately won over by the printmaking department after my first class. It was an Intaglio class. There was something so cool and satisfying about putting an inked plate on the press bed, turning the crank and bing, bang, you got art!

Describe where you work

I have a 350 sq/ft studio in a big old industrial building in Oakland, CA. It's called the American Steel Building and it sectioned off into 2 large buildings that take up a whole block and is filled with an eclectic bunch of artists, including some very large scale metal sculptures. Many of the art cars that tool around the Bay Area and trek out to Burning Man are created and worked on here. In my space, I have a 10" x 15" platen press, a table-top etching press, paper cutter, lots of paper and some work tables. I tend to carve the lino/woodblocks at home as well as adding any watercolor.

What is your favorite printmaking process?

I love printing Intaglio prints. It's slow, but very satisfying. I love the excitement of lifting the paper after running the plate through the press.



What's your creative process for any given print?

For relief, I have to sketch it out in detail first. I need to think out where the darkest and lightest parts are going to be. Contrast is so important and easy to mess up when working in relief. So, the creative part is before the carving begins, but playing around with line quality, adding shapes, dots and the like can happen spontaneously while carving and is pretty fun. I also often add watercolor to the prints afterwards and I like to play around with different ways of the coloring each one.

What do you enjoy most about printmaking?
 
I like that even though you're printing from a plate/block, they don't all have to look the same. I'm not against editioning at all. I just like the possibility of seeing the image printed in a variety of ways and giving it several lives to live.

What is your least favorite part of the process?
 
Cleaning up. :(
And paper cuts from thick paper.

What are your inspirations (other artists, people, places, events, etc.)?

Artists: Kay Bradner, Kathe Kollwitz, Bruce Conner, Marc Chagall, and Dr. Seuss
I am inspired by creativity, whimsy and narrative quality of really good children's books.

How has your work changed and evolved since you started?

The work I created in my early 20's was kind of tormented paintings and drawings where I was expressing a lot of helplessness, uncertainty, and a lack of balance. In my mid-twenties, it transformed to being sweeter (although, still with a slightly dark and weird edge to it). Today, at 33-years-old, I still find myself drawn to making art that has a child-like quality to it, where I can create little worlds that tell a simple story. These worlds are stripped free of politics, buildings, gadgets, etc., and get more to the heart of the matter.

How do you get past creative slumps?

I take that time to work on promoting/selling my art and try not to get hysterical about having "lost" my creative spark. It always comes back. It's also a good time to take an art class to learn a new technique or just be inspired by an assignment. There have been times where I've even given myself and "assignment" and that was enough to help me out.

How do you promote your work?

I have my work in a few galleries. I have a Flickr page and am part of some different art-related groups on that, where I'll post some of my images.

Any other comments or advice for others who want to try making hand-pulled prints?

I definitely would recommend taking a print survey class or at least a few classes in each type of printmaking to see which one works best for you. You may like relief, silkscreen, intaglio, or letterpress more and you may learn techniques that inspire you creatively too. Although, a lot of schools have lost parts of their art programs to budget cuts in the last few years, check out your local community college. In the San Francisco bay area (and I'm sure in many other places too) there are also tons of workshops taught by local artists, where they'll do a 3-6 hour class with just a few people in it.

Rebecca's Etsy Shop
Rebecca's Website
Rebecca's Letterpress Shop Website

Printsy Interview - Diane Podolsky - Anniepod Pressworks

Website & Blog: anniepod.blogspot.com
Etsy: www.anniepod.etsy.com

Brief Bio
I have worn many hats; artist, teaching artist, arts administrator, gallery director to name a few. To this day, I have no real idea how I ended up in this crazy business.

How did you get started in printmaking?
I was working in handmade paper and collage and found myself embellishing the papers with a mixture of media. My work always had a graphic quality and I felt that I wanted to make something “all on one sheet of paper” rather than piecing things together. All of these factors came together resulting in my experimenting with reduction block printing. Not long after, I enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where I studied intaglio methods. I have taken sabbaticals from printing to paint and do installations but my real love is the print studio.


Describe where you work.
I work small so I set up a print studio in a spare bedroom. However, should I want to print large, I am fortunate to live in proximity to a number of professionally equipped printmaking studios.

What's your favourite printmaking process?
Intaglio methods because I find that, for me, they leave the most potential for improvisation as well as the ability to turn a mishap into something wonderful (if you are open to that). I think the best example of this is when I spilled soy solvent on a plate covered with hard ground. I let the plate lay exposed to the acid where the soy solve hit and it turned into something I never could have dreamed of on my own. Another time, a copper plate printed so bad, but was so beautiful in itself, so I saved it. A year later, I took a pronto plate lithography class, photocopied the copper plate, transferred it to a pronto plate, and my etching is now a lithograph! (See blog post “The Prodigal Plate”).


What's your creative process for any given print? (eg. sketch first? Pre-planned or free-form?)
Printmaking is an art form where it is difficult to avoid at least some preliminary planning because mistakes can be costly. I do try to be open about how the plate or block can progress. Usually I have some imagery in mind; it could be an abstract form or a “scene” of sorts. For intaglio plates, I do not do editions (except for the occasional print exchange). I will use the plate for monoprints combining the matrix with other processes such as chine colle, viscosity printing, watercolor, etc.

What do you enjoy most about printmaking?
The total immersion of the process. If I go in my studio before I get ready for the day, it could easily be 5 pm and I may still find myself in my pajamas.

What's your least favorite part of the process?
The clean up!

What are your inspirations (other artists, people, places, events, etc.)?
My favorite printmaker is William Stanley Hayter. I enjoy the outdoors and believe the natural world influences my work; ironically, so does the urban environment in which I live.


How has your work changed and evolved since you started?
I would like to think I have become a better technician though I still find I make lots of mistakes. I probably take more chances with my imagery, but I believe that comes from having a better knowledge of the methods and a wee bit more confidence.

How do you get past creative slumps?
My creative slumps have to do with time devoted to unnecessary things. Printing takes time and dedication and silly distractions can be costly in the amount of effort needed to get back to work. I recently heard that a 5 minute interruption (in anything) actually costs 45 minutes when you factor in the mental strength needed to get back to where you were before the interruption.

How do you promote your work?
Just recently, I went back to doing outdoor shows and I finally opened my own Etsy shop in spring, 2009. I also have work in some local galleries and shops on consignment. Here is some good news – when I stopped doing outdoor shows in the late 1990’s, one of the reasons was because of all the reproductions. People did not know the difference. Guess what? People now DO know the difference and appreciate the handmade.


Any other comments or advice for others who want to try making hand-pulled prints?
Be yourself! Your imagery must be sincere or it will show. Try to set goals according to how you see your career and work progressing; not by what your fellow artist friends are doing. My blog posts include both printmaking and art/business topics. Please feel free to check it out!

Printsy Interview - Kyoko Imazu

Etsy: kyokoimazu.etsy.com, rachelscabinet.etsy.com
Blog: rachelscabinet.blogspot.com
Flickr: flickr.com/photos/kyokoimazu

Brief Bio
I’m originally from Japan and arrived in Melbourne, Australia in 2002. I studied Bachelor of Fine Art, majoring in printmaking. After graduating from uni at the end of 2007, I was completely broke so I worked in an office for 4 days a week and made works at night or on Friday – Sunday. At the end of 2009, I quit my job to become a full-time printmaker. I’m still a bit freaked out but mostly enjoying every minute!


How did you get started in printmaking?
At first I was planning to study oil painting but somehow it didn’t connect with me. Then I met the world of printmaking. I really liked how it’s all technique-based discipline and craftsmanship is very much appreciated.

Describe where you work.
I work in a little studio space at home next to kitchen. It’s probably not a good idea in terms of OH&S... I have a press borrowed from my friend/adviser Bridget Farmer while she is in Belfast. I do not have access to process room for etching etc at the moment as our Print Workshop is closed for renovation so I’m mostly doing engravings on copper and woodblock.


What's your favourite printmaking process?
I love engravings. I like to play with the idea of old and new so engraving is a perfect medium for me.

What's your creative process for any given print? (eg. sketch first? Pre-planned or free-form?)
I always do sketch first – either pencil drawing or collage. For my rabbit series, I made collage from 18-19th century illustration books and cartoons or comic books.


I’m always doodling in my sketchbooks so I often use bits and pieces of images from those doodles to create prints too.

What do you enjoy most about printmaking?
I think what I enjoy the most is the process. I love the act of engraving small lines for animal fur or dots for texture by a graver or a needle.

What's your least favorite part of the process?
Filing the edge of cooper plates! I’ve cut my fingers many times doing that. Please let me know if you have a special tip for making edges look nice and clean!


What are your inspirations (other artists, people, places, events, etc.)?
Generally I am inspired by lots of different things in everyday life. Some of those are:

• Old illustration books on science or animal study
• Museum / gallery
• Shrines and forests in Japan (Sadly I can’t do this often)
• Japanese prints, comics and cartoons
• My cat
• Movies especially Hayao Miyazaki films
• Books especially by Margaret Atwood, Mayumi Nagano, Clive Ponting’s A Green History of the World is something I’d always keep in mind
• My childhood memories
• Silent space

How has your work changed and evolved since you started?
I appreciate Japanese prints 100 times more than before.

I used to avoid Japanese prints or Japanese art works as I felt uncomfortable people telling me the relationship between my work and Japanese art so I consciously didn’t look at them. Now it is one of the main inspirations of my work. I think it’s because I’ve become an “outsider” being in Australia for a while. That’s why I can better appreciate my own culture and arts, so it reflects on my own work too.


How do you get past creative slumps?
Read books, watch movies, going to museum and gallery, play with my cat and have a good night’s sleep with inspiring dreams.

How do you promote your work?
This is something I’m still learning how. I try to enter as many awards as possible to get more exposure. Regardless of the result, at least judges would have seen my work.


Any other comments or advice for others who want to try making hand-pulled prints?
Sign up for community print workshop to get basic skills, and the rest will just come with experience. And stay curious about medium you haven’t tried, as printmaking offers endless possibilities.

My encounter with printmaking technique few years ago is one of the best things in my life. This beautiful discipline with deep history is certainly something worth diving for!

Printsy Interview - Thomas J. Norulak

Website: www.norulak.com/printsnat.htm
Etsy: printsnat.etsy.com
Twitter: twitter.com/printsnat
Blog: printsnat.blogspot.com

Brief Bio
Born in Newark, New Jersey 1949; attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, BFA 1971; Currently teach printmaking one night a week at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and run Norulak Screen Printing in Pittsburgh.

How did you get started in printmaking?
Studied printmaking in college as a minor, I was a painting major.

Describe where you work.
I do my etching work at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts where besides teaching, I monitor the Wednesday night access studio. I do my screenprinting work at my shop, usually when the commercial work slows down a bit.


What's your favourite printmaking process?
Currently I'd have to say etching.

What's your creative process for any given print? (eg. sketch first? Pre-planned or free-form?)
I use a photo-transfer process for my etchings. Starting with a photo which I've taken, I scan it, and print it out on my laser printer, then using a solvent, transfer the toner from the paper to a zinc plate. The toner acts as a resist when the plate is etched in nitric acid. After the initial etch, traditional etching techniques such as aquatint, scraping and burnishing, etc. are used to complete the image.


What do you enjoy most about printmaking?
I enjoy the mystery and surprises that come about from the indirectness of the process. Acid does what it will do, and sometimes can't be controlled. However you can change it after it's done its thing and mold it that way you want.

What's your least favorite part of the process?
An image or a plate that refuses to work its way to completion. Happens sometimes.

What are your inspirations (other artists, people, places, events, etc.)?
I'm a landscape artist and I'm inspired by my visions of nature, and how we humans have interacted with it, and the effects of time and weather on natural and man-made objects. I've been inspired by the prints of Whistler. He was known as kind of a rebel in his time. He was also the first printmaker to start signing his prints in pencil.


How has your work changed and evolved since you started?
I like to think it's gotten better. But I think I've evolved from a straight landscape artist to one that's making more of a statement about the natural environment as well.

How do you get past creative slumps?
I get a bunch of plates and start beveling them. I usually try to have my next 5 to 10 images planned out in advance, so I usually don't have slumps.

How do you promote your work?
I sell in galleries as well as online. I must admit the social networking phenomena has been helpful in getting the word out. I think teaching helps, also I do a lot of demos and lectures for museums, and art groups as well. Getting into juried shows also helps. Anything to get your work and name visible certainly can't hurt.


Any other comments or advice for others who want to try making hand-pulled prints?
Try starting with monotypes, which is kind of a hybrid of painting and printmaking, then venture into one of the other processes. Take a class or two to get your feet wet. Some day your prints will come!

Printsy Interview - Jeff Phegley

Etsy: thenaptowner.etsy.com
Website: www.jeffphegley.com
Blog: thenaptowner.blogspot.com

Brief Bio:
I grew up in central Indiana and attended college at Ball State University where I received a BFA in Graphic Design and a Masters in Painting.

How did you get started in printmaking?
I took printmaking courses throughout college and was hooked at the start. I was introduced to German Expressionist prints early in my academic career and I still cannot get enough of the work...absolutely powerful.

Describe where you work.
I work in my home studio. I like to be surrounded by my tools and be able to work on my artwork at any convenient moment. I print on a Dick Blick press which I love! It is very empowering to own your own press and have the opportunity to print whenever you want!

What's your favorite printmaking process?
I really enjoy intaglio. There are so many techniques that can be utilized to create the final print. I enjoy charting a course on how I want my prints to look in the final stage and then implementing the steps to make it happen. It can be a very time consuming medium but is very much worth the effort in the end.

What's your creative process for any given print? (eg. sketch first? Pre-planned or free-form?)
I usually begin by writing down ideas that are inspired by a number of stimuli (books, nature, people watching, tv, radio). I then develop my ideas in sketches to work out compositions and subject matter. I also sketch in pen and ink to practice my mark making which I then transfer to the copper plate. An attractive quality to printmaking is in the creation of multiples, so I like to create series of works to further explore the multiple and cover my ideas from different angles.

What do you enjoy most about printmaking?
Pulling the first print off the press is very exciting. Even though a plate has been worked over for several hours and you have a pretty good idea of what you may get, there are always surprises revealed once the plate is inked and printed. It is really a magical moment.

What's your least favorite part of the process?
The process of printing an edition of several impressions can be monotonous and time consuming. I am usually at my wits end after cleaning, inking, wiping and printing five impressions of the same image. At this point I walk away, rest and approach the edition with fresh eyes because focus is needed to create a consistent edition.

What are your inspirations (other artists, people, places, events, etc.)?
Observation of urban and rural nature, people, video, radio and reading books always provide inspiration. Visiting museums and reading about other artist's work and methods of production is also great for fueling the creative fire.

How has your work changed and evolved since you started?
The quality of idea forming through observation and more playful execution of techniques has increased over the years which has really elevated my work to a more challenging place for me and hopefully the viewer.

How do you get past creative slumps?
I recognize them and enjoy them. I try to avoid being frustrated and understand that the well will once again fill up. I find these to be great times to look at other artists work, or just take a break and not think about art-making at all.

How do you promote your work?
I just recently started selling my work on Etsy! I have a website which features my finished works and a blog that I update with sketches and works in progress. I enter competitions once or twice a year and have gallery shows about once every couple of years.

Any other comments or advice for others who want to try making hand-pulled prints?
Printmaking can be accomplished with limited means. There are several books out there that illustrate great printmaking techniques that can be accomplished with a few household tools. There is no excuse for not printing! The best thing about prints are the multiples that you can trade for other artist's works!

If you could curate a museum show of a printmaker who would you exhibit?
I would love to curate a comprehensive exhibition of Goya's prints. The show would include various states of specific prints (if they exist) and original plates, tools and a reproduction of a press that he may have used. Oh yes, and there would be printmaking demonstrations throughout the duration of the exhibition.

What printastic museum would you recommend other printmakers to visit?
THE REMBRANDT HOUSE MUSEUM
They have the MOST comprehensive collection of Rembrandt prints. The house, which Rembrandt owned for many years, has been restored to reflect how Rembrandt lived in it in the 17th century. It is a remarkable experience.
The Rembrandt House Museum
Jodenbreestraat 4
1011 NK Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Printsy Interview - Lindsey Clark-Ryan

Website: www.lindseyclark-ryan.i8.com
Etsy: www.olerattlesnake.etsy.com
Flickr: flickr.com/lindseyclarkryan

Brief Bio
I grew up on the gulf coast of Florida amongst the manatees, entirely intent on becoming an astronaut. In reality, I preferred spending my time drawing, reading, writing stories, and going to most available sports practices. Before I went to college, I realized that what I really wanted was to make artwork and write books while living on my own spaceship. This is totally feasible. I suppose I could at least get a pilot’s license.

So I went to Washington University in St. Louis, abandoned the Physics/Mechanical Engineering, and majored in Printmaking, English, and Track & Field (I’m counting that; do not challenge me). Of course, now I’m making these print/object/machine installations and reeeeally wishing I had that engineering degree. Instead, I am getting my MFA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and counting on being able to purchase a trip into space with my life savings or grant money. I also would be willing to devote my life to movies and avocados.


How did you get started in printmaking?
In elementary school I participated in the standard clever re-purposing of Styrofoam and root vegetables into relief matrices, but I also went to summer camps at the nearby art school (Ringling), where we did some monoprints, not that I was really aware of what I was doing. I did manage to make a pressure print of demented potato clown, which I maintain is the greatest piece of artwork I have ever created. I did a few pathetic lino cuts in high school, but I didn’t learn printmaking for reals until taking a class at Wash U in 2001. Wash U proceeded to spoil me tremendously with a 5’ x 8’ press.


Describe where you work.
As a grad student I am fortunate enough to have my own studio and full access to all manner of printmaking studios and processes. I spend most of my time in the etching room, but I also do a fair amount of litho and letterpress. I often end up using several different processes, so it really comes down to the individual print. I’ll often make additions to the prints with various media in my studio and build associated 3D elements, occasionally blowing out electrical sockets.

What's your favourite printmaking process?
I’d say I mostly think in intaglio. Also, I love a good plate mark.


What's your creative process for any given print? (eg. sketch first? Pre-planned or free-form?)
It really depends. I usually sketch out some thumbnails to work out ideas, but how much planning or drawing I do depends on what I’m working on. Given the nature of Printmaking, sometimes the image itself can be done quite spontaneously, but I’ll have to spend time getting the printing logistics in order. Recently I’ve been printing from the surfaces of found materials, reinterpreting their tactility and investigating their relationship with other elements and with the negative space of the paper. I’ve been doing this on a large scale (up to 3’ x 5’), so there are a lot of technical printing considerations involved in just figuring out how to print the crap I find in other people’s basements.


What do you enjoy most about printmaking?
I really enjoy how each process creates a certain kind of line and texture and especially how those different qualities play off one another when combined in a print. I also like the mechanical and technical nature of it that lends itself to secret clubs devoted to shop talk and drinking.

What's your least favorite part of the process?
You know how I just said I liked the technicality of Printmaking? Well, sometimes I hate it. I don’t care for cleaning, either.


What are your inspirations (other artists, people, places, events, etc.)?
All kinds of things: absurdist literature, physics, movies, running, jumping, diagrams, flying things, poster design, acrobats, machines, books, science museums, language, automata, road trips, and finding cool free stuff. It’s also great to be in a grad program surrounded by hardworking, awesome people.

How has your work changed and evolved since you started?
I have become much more focused on an overall installation and try to think about prints as the objects they are.


How do you get past creative slumps?
I go to the movies, read, exercise, or get trapped in the abyss of the internet. Sometimes I’ll stumble on an idea or solution, or I just end up leaving the back of my brain alone for long enough to begin sorting things out. Disclaimer: this isn’t really working right now.

How do you promote your work?
Pathetically.
I apply for some shows and do some print exchanges, I have my etsy store and website out there for people to trip over, and I go to the Southern Graphics Conference, but I could really be less of a pitiful wimp about everything.


Any other comments or advice for others who want to try making hand-pulled prints?
Find out if your local community college has printmaking classes. If you’re an in-state resident, you can often get several months of access to instruction and a lot of expensive equipment for a reasonable amount of money. Then again, you can always print blocks with the back of a wooden spoon or by running over them with your car.

Printsy Interview - Stephanie Mercado

Website: www.stephaniemercado.com
Etsy: www.stephaniexristine.etsy.com
Blog: paperdollsteph.blogspot.com
Flickr: www.flickr.com/stephaniemercado

Brief Bio:
I am an artist born and raised in Boyle Heights, east of Downtown Los Angeles. I am a creator of things, whether it be painting, printing or sewing. I come from a family of tradesmen, musicians, and creative types. Although I did not have access to art in my youth, I was encouraged by my mother to draw, by my grandfather to sew, and by my grandmother to knit.

I stumbled upon painting when I saw an instructional video on PBS at the age of 15, and decided to pursue art ever since. I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree through California University Long Beach ten years later, and I am currently making art full-time.


How did you get started in printmaking?
I started printmaking by accident. While I was at school pursuing my bachelor's degree one of my classes was canceled and the only class available was a printmaking survey class. Since I needed a certain number of units, I decided to stay enrolled in the class and instantly fell in love with the medium, the diversity and the range of work one can create with printmaking.

After having exhibited a series of prints I created at school, a patron became interested in my art and donated a press she was no longer using to me. I am very fortunate to have made such a good and generous friend.


Describe where you work.
When I received the Press I did not have a studio and I worked from home. I recently got a studio in Downtown Los Angeles, but due to it's weight my press is still in my bedroom and I think I prefer to keep it there. The area where I print takes up a quarter of my living space, but it does not bother me because it reminds me that I have to keep busy, and that I have to keep making things. I became accustomed to working with portability and ingenuity in small spaces, and having a place to work away from home in addition to a place to work while I am home, allows me to make art all of the time.

Therefor, the studio in downtown is primarily my painting and sewing studio, and my bedroom at home is my printmaking studio. One day I would like to have a large space where I can live, work and exhibit all at once.


What's your favorite printmaking process?
At the moment, my favorite printmaking process is Dry-point because of its portability of process and unpredictable printing quality. I really enjoy the immediate mark making and the variation in line and tone one can obtain through those marks, in addition to the level of detail one can achieve. Dry-point prints also have a line quality that is similar to ink drawings and may at times be appear a little deceiving and ambiguous at first glance.


What's your creative process for any given print? (eg. sketch first? Pre-planned or free-form?)
My creative process primarily revolves around reading and research. When I am working on a body of work, I am constantly thinking about elements and ways to convey particular ideas. When I have an idea, I usually sketch what I am thinking, and the sketch determines whether or not I will make a painting or a print. Sometimes, I make a painting from a print, and sometimes I make a print from a painting. Although the themes are similar, or one idea is used in two different mediums, the image is never the same.


What do you enjoy most about printmaking?
The most enjoyable aspects of printmaking for me are the process and the range one can achieve using various mediums within printmaking. I like carving blocks, scratching Plexi-glass, cutting paper, inking plates, and watching a series of prints hanging to dry. I also like seeing the diversity within each print, and contributing to the variation by watercoloring, drawing, or silkscreening over some of the prints. I like to make ideas come into fruition, to see prints formed and to see them change.


What's your least favorite part of the process?
Aside from cleanup, I'd have to say that framing is my least favorite part of completing the printing process. Seeing the work framed is rewarding, but taking the time to frame the work always seems more daunting than making the work itself.

What are your inspirations (other artists, people, places, events, etc.)?
My inspiration is society. I see everything around me, and I question everything.. I wonder why things are the way they are, and whether or not they will ever change. From those thoughts and emotions I turn to art, music, film and literature. Artist, musicians, films and writers are secondary sources of inspiration that help my thoughts and creativity to grow. For example I am currently making art focused on socio-economic issues and the housing market, and researching Bruegel's work, the history of Wallpaper, and Doll Houses.


How has your work changed and evolved since you started?
I have become more care-free with my work since I started. I used to waste a lot of time wondering whether or not an idea was worth pursuing. Now I just make the work and I have fun with it.


How do you get past creative slumps?
I usually get past creative slumps by flipping through old sketch books, going to the museum or by going to the library. Sometimes I take a couple of days off and do nothing for a couple of days. Not working for a couple of days usually does the trick and I am eager to get back to work the following day. My hands need to be constantly working on something, for my mind to be at peace.


How do you promote your work?
I try any means necessary to get the work out there. I am on a few social networking sites in addition to my own website. I also have promotional postcards that I leave everywhere I go. I enjoy going out and meeting people, and any time they ask for a business card, I always have one handy.

Any other comments or advice for others who want to try making hand-pulled prints?
Appreciate them for what they are and don't worry about making them too perfect. Imperfections give them depth and personality. Oh, and... good luck!